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This phase II clinical trial studies how well dasatinib followed by stem cell transplant works in treating older patients with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Dasatinib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving chemotherapy before a stem cell transplant stops the growth of cancer cells by stopping them from dividing or killing them. Monoclonal antibodies, such as alemtuzumab, may interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) and giving dasatinib together with chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells.

I. Compare the OS and DFS profiles for each of the three cohorts to those from similar populations from other studies.

II. Determine the ability of dasatinib to produce or maintain a BCR/ABL-negative status, as judged by quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) following sequential dasatinib, chemotherapy, and HCT.

EARLY INTENSIFICATION THERAPY: Patients with bone marrow =< 20% blasts are assigned to cohort A and patients with bone marrow > 20% blasts are assigned to cohort B.

COHORT A: Patients receive dasatinib and dexamethasone as in RIT.

COHORT B: Patients receive dasatinib and dexamethasone as in RIT, and vincristine sulfate IV and daunorubicin hydrochloride IV on days 1, 8, and 15. Patients who do NOT achieve a complete response (CR) or CR with incomplete hematologic recovery based on bone marrow continue on to second induction therapy; patients who achieve a hematologic and morphologic CR continue on to CNS prophylaxis therapy.

SECOND INDUCTION THERAPY: Patients receive dasatinib and dexamethasone as in RIT, cyclophosphamide IV on day 1, daunorubicin hydrochloride IV and vincristine sulfate IV on days 1 and 8, and filgrastim subcutaneously (SC) beginning on day 9 and continuing for >= 7 days or one dose of pegfilgrastim on day 9.

CNS PROPHYLAXIS THERAPY: Patients receive dasatinib PO daily continuously during CNS prophylaxis therapy; methotrexate intrathecally (IT), vincristine sulfate IV, and methotrexate IV over 3 hours on days 1, 15, and 29; methotrexate PO every 6 hours for a total of 4 doses each on days 1-2, 15-16, and 29-30; leucovorin calcium IV on days 2, 16, and 30; and leucovorin PO calcium every 6 hours for a total of 8 doses each on days 3-4, 17-18, and 31-32.

TRANSPLANTATION OR ALTERNATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY AND MAINTENANCE THERAPY: Patients aged 50-70 years with an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor are assigned to allogeneic transplantation, patients aged 50-70 years without an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor are assigned to autologous transplantation, and patients aged > 70 years or who are not transplantation candidates are assigned to alternative chemotherapy.

ALLOGENEIC TRANSPLANTATION: Patients receive fludarabine phosphate IV over 30 minutes and alemtuzumab IV over 30 minutes on days -7 through -3 and melphalan IV over 30 minutes on day -2. Patients undergo allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) on day 0. Patients then receive filgrastim SC beginning on day 1 and continuing until count recovery and tacrolimus IV or PO beginning on day -2 and beginning to taper on day 100 (for matched related donors) or day 180 (for mismatched related or unrelated donors). Beginning on day 30, patients receive dasatinib PO daily as maintenance therapy. Treatment continues for >= 12 months in the absence of disease progression.

AUTOLOGOUS TRANSPLANTATION:

MOBILIZATION: Patients receive etoposide phosphate IV continuously on days 1-4, high-dose cytarabine IV over 2 hours every 12 hours for a total of 8 doses on days 1-4, and filgrastim SC once or twice daily beginning on day 14 and continuing until peripheral blood stem cell collection is complete or WBC > 50,000/μL.

ALTERNATIVE CHEMOTHERAPY: Beginning 3-10 days after completion of CNS prophylaxis therapy, patients receive etoposide phosphate IV continuously on days 1-4, high-dose cytarabine IV over 2 hours every 12 hours for a total of 8 doses on days 1-4, and filgrastim SC once or twice daily beginning on day 14 and continuing until count recovery.

MAINTENANCE THERAPY: Patients receive dasatinib PO once daily beginning on day 30. Patients also receive vincristine sulfate IV every 4 weeks, dexamethasone for 5 days every 4 weeks, mercaptopurine PO once daily, and methotrexate PO once weekly. Treatment continues for >= 12 months in the absence of disease progression.

Disease Free Survival Defined From the Date of First Induction Complete Response (CR) to Relapse or Death Due to Any Cause [ Time Frame: At 3 years after CR ]

Estimated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Proportions will be estimated using point as well as interval estimators. All interval estimators will be constructed using the finite sample size sampling distribution at the unadjusted two-sided level of 0.05.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

Probability of Being BCR-ABL Negative in the Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood at the Completion of the CNS Prophylaxis Course (Restricted to Those Patients Achieving a CR) [ Time Frame: Up to 10 years ]

Proportions will be estimated based on the combined and individual cohorts.

Feasibility of Maintenance Therapy in This Patient Population (Restricted to Those Patients Achieving a CR) [ Time Frame: Up to 10 years ]

Proportions will be estimated based on the combined and individual cohorts.

OS [ Time Frame: Up to 10 years ]

Estimated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Proportions will be estimated using point as well as interval estimators. All interval estimators will be constructed using the finite sample size sampling distribution at the unadjusted two-sided level of 0.05.

DFS [ Time Frame: From the date of first induction CR to relapse, or death due to any cause, with patients last known to be alive and disease-free censored at the date of last contact, assessed up to 10 years ]

Estimated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. Proportions will be estimated using point as well as interval estimators. All interval estimators will be constructed using the finite sample size sampling distribution at the unadjusted two-sided level of 0.05.

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Layout table for eligibility information

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Unequivocal histologic diagnosis of ALL

Detection of the t(9;22)(q34;q11) or 3-way variant by metaphase cytogenetics or BCR-ABL positive status by molecular analysis (Q-PCR or fluorescent in situ hybridization [FISH]) in a Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)-approved laboratory

No prior therapy except up to one week of corticosteroids and/or hydroxyurea to enable time for the detection of t(9;22)(q34;q11) or BCR/ABL

Non-pregnant and non-nursing; treatment under this protocol would expose an unborn child to significant risks; women and men of reproductive potential should agree to use an effective means of birth control and contraception should continue for three months after the last dose of dasatinib to allow complete clearance of drug and its principal metabolites from the body; in women of childbearing potential, a pregnancy test will be required at study entry